When it comes to Mother’s Day we’re all about grand gestures, like special dinner or a handmade dessert. That’s why we love the idea of baking Mom a cake for her big day. Sure, it will take a little bit of planning and yes, you’ll have to spend some time decorating it and making it look pretty—but it's one dessert that’s guaranteed to show Mom just how much you care. Luckily, we’ve got lots of great ideas to help you find something that’s just right for the mom in your life, starting with this copycat Chantilly cake. It's inspired by the Berry Chantilly Cake from Whole Foods Market that has a cult following—fans have been known to wait in line to buy it! Our recipe is deliciously easy, so bakers of all skill levels can whip one layers of ultra-tender white cake and light-as-can-be frosting for a special Mother's Day treat.

Ina’s chocolatey cake is both elegant and rich. To spend more time with Mom on the holiday, bake the cake in advance, then wrap and refrigerate it until Mother’s Day. Once the cake is frosted, it can be left at room temperature for up to eight hours.

Every Mom is sure to adore Molly’s foolproof carrot cake. She makes it special by using hawaij, a cardamom-forward Yemeni spice blend in both the cake and the frosting. If you can’t find it at your grocery store this recipe will walk you through the steps to make your own at home, using spices from the pantry.

Treat Mom to one of the most popular desserts in the restaurant at Ree’s Mercantile. This “make at home” version of her strawberry cake uses several time-saving shortcuts: strawberry box cake, jarred strawberry sauce and strawberry cream sandwich cookies.